Under this proposal, the ex-employees would have to wait two years before they’reÂ eligible to lobby the body theyÂ left – just likeÂ state lawmakers.Â

SomeÂ at the Capitol are referring to this as “the Pat Lynch clause.”Â Lynch, once a top aide toÂ Silver,Â left her job Dec. 31, 2000 and started lobbyingÂ in 2001.Â Her firm now ranks No. 2 in the Top 10Â list with revenues of $4.3 million in 2005.

(No. 1 is Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker at $7 million).Â

The bill also addresses the $75 gift limit – Â defined as annual, not per-item, by the state Lobbying Commission – Â which has so rankled legislators this year. (Basically, that means no more free meals, unless some reporter with an expense account is buying).

Under Silver’s proposal, the $75 per-gift limit wouldÂ continue to apply to “non-lobbyists,” while gifts from lobbyists to public officials would be banned. There are exceptions,Â however, including:

Complimentary attendance – including food and drink – at a “bona fide” charitable or political event.

Â Plaques, certificates and ceremonial items and honorary degrees.

Gifts from family members (a number of lobbyists are related to public officials).

Complimentary attendance at events “related to the attendee’s duties or responsibilities as a public official” sponsored by: charitable, educational, service, fraternal, union, religious, governmental, volunteer, service, business or veteran groups.

Travel reimbursement, or payment for fees, transportation and mealsÂ to attend conferences or forums, participate on panels or speak – provided that lodging is only for the night preceeding and the nights of the event in question.

There are no exact same-as bills in the state Senate. Mark Hansen, a spokesman for MajorityÂ Leader Joseph Bruno, didn’tÂ sound optimistic about the prospects of a deal:Â

“The Senate passed a gift ban in 1999 that Assembly didn’t act on,” he said. “Last year Senate pushed for enactement of major lobbying reform. With four days left in the session we’ve yet to see the Assembly proposal.”

But Blair Horner, lobbyist for NYPIRG, which supports Silver’s bill, said four days is actually an eternityÂ in Albany.

“It’s a short amount of time in calender time, but in terms of legislative time, it’sÂ a Jurassic period.”Â

About Capitol Confidential

Capitol Confidential gathers the best coverage of New York politics and puts it all together. Each section - Capitol, The State Worker, New York on the Potomac, and Voices - represents a unique facet of the political scene. The Capitol section features coverage from the Times Union Capitol bureau. The State Worker is dedicated to state worker issues. New York on the Potomac offers news of interest to New Yorkers from Washington. And Voices features the best of everything else, pointing you to columnists and bloggers from across the Web.